I’m going to be frank: I had this soup for two meals in a row and I loved it. Then I had to take a break, because sometimes you need solid foods. But it’s so delicious!

There’s nothing like winter squash: so sweet and good that it doesn’t seem like it should be one of the healthiest foods around. Not that I’m complaining. All the more reason to give this pretty (and pretty awesome) soup a try.

Ingredients

Directions

Start by slicing up your winter squash. Squash are large and the rinds are hard to cut, so I recommend using your sharpest knife. A dull blade is much more dangerous than a sharp one because it can slip out of the way instead of cutting through something.

Slice the squash into pieces so that none is more than 2 inches in any direction (otherwise it will take a long time to cook). Brush with olive oil and heavily salt and pepper. Roast at 425 for about 20 minutes, but check on it frequently. Every squash will be different. When it’s done, peel it and cut into cubes. Set aside for a moment.

Chop and sautee your carrots, onion and celery in a saucepan. Once they’ve softened, you can add the stock and the cubes of squash. Let simmer for ten minutes, or so.

Once the vegetables are very soft and you’ve let the soup simmer, grab your immersion blender and take the soup off the heat. Let it cool for a few minutes and then puree. You can also puree in shifts with a blender, but I find it’s easier and less messy if you use an immersion blender.

It should be thick and creamy when you are done blending. At the end, give your soup a large shake of cinnamon – probably at least half a teaspoon – and stir.